Brush Fire in Lake View Terrace is Hit Hard and Fast

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At 2:25 on October 22, 2011, a "Brush Fire" ignited on the fringe of a quiet neighborhood in the north end of the San Fernando Valley at 11880 Terra Vista Way.

Originally reported as a 3-4 acre fire in light-to-medium brush, first on-scene resources found fire moving rapidly, up very steep terrain, towards the front-end of the Angeles National Forest. This brought a swift and heavy response, as 75 Los Angeles Firefighters worked aggressively in the 90 degree heat, to prevent the fire from further spread.

Assisting the LAFD's efforts, were our partners from neighboring jurisdictions, as Los Angeles County Fire (LACo) and the Angeles National Forest (ANF) both sent fire resources. Additionally, two Quebec Bombardier "Super Scoopers" and the Erickson "Air-Crane" (all on-loan through the Brush Season), as well as four LAFD water-dropping helicopters, delivered very strategic water drops. Together, with the fire crews on the ground, this brush fire was brought under control in just 54 minutes and held to approximately eight acres.

Ground and air crews stayed on-scene for three and half hours, as the burn area was cooled and surveyed to ensure that no embers remained. Careful management of brush incidents in this manner, will prove to be of the utmost importance, as we move deeper into the Brush Season and as we make preparations for our first "wind event," with the "Santa Anas" expected sometime next week.

No structures were damaged during the firefight; however, there was an incident-related injury reported shortly after the fire was fully extinguished. One ANF Firefighter was transported to a local hospital, via air-ambulance, for heat-related complications. The cause of the fire is under active investigation.

Republished with permission of the Los Angeles Fire Department. View original article here.



Author:Matt Spence - PIO - LAFD